thar she blows! getting blown at the blo bar, sf

Okay, so the name’s kinda cheesy/pervy, but don’t let that scare you away. I got blown at the Blo Bar in San Francisco yesterday, and I can’t wait to go back. It’s completely legit and involves two of my favorite things: efficiency and fabulous hair.

The one I visited is the first to open down here in the States, but there are nine (soon to be 10) other Blo Bars in Canada.

Their schtick? No cuts, no color — just a fantastic 30-minute wash/blowout/style for $33 bucks (not including tip).

It may sound a little pricey at first, I mean for something so temporary, but after I did the beauty math I think it makes a certain kind of sense.

My usual salon charges upwards of $50 for the same thing — a wash and blowout — and they require an appointment sometimes as far as a week out. Blo Bars, however, take walk-ins (as well as appointments), so they’re great for last-minute events when you want a fresh style.

Sure, I do something similar (but rarely as good) to my hair at home, but it takes time, from start to finish (including washing) about an hour, assuming I do everything right. When/if I screw something up, it can add an extra 20-30 minutes to the process, sometimes more.

That’s a lot of work… and sometimes it’s just nice to feel pampered. You get a style that looks great from every angle (as opposed to just the sides and front), one that could last for a few days with the help of a good dry shampoo.

How do Blo Bars work?

First, one of their stylists washes and conditions your hair, and then you choose the style you’d like (they have seven main ones but can also do custom styles) from their illustrated menu.

was in the mood for tight curls, so I chose “Sex, Hugs & Rock and Roll,” a style with tightly defined, yet tousled curls.

Depending on how much hair you’ve got or how well it behaves, they may call over a second stylist to work on you. That’s what happened to me, thanks to my unruly mane.

Together, Lindsey and Chris whipped my hair into shape using Blo Bar’s in-house products and top-of-the line styling tools from brands like T3.

Thirty minutes later, my hair had gone from broke to BEYONCE.

I felt sort of validated later in the day at a Sephora, where one of the sales associates blurted out, “You know, your hair looks REALLY good.”

“Gurrrrl,” I replied back, “it wasn’t my doing. It was the Blo Bar. They’ll hook you up!”

I definitely see myself visiting again, like before a special event. Not only does it save time and effort, but it’s nice to have hair that looks fab from all 360 degrees every once in a while!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Karen, Make Up and Beauty Blog, April 2 2010

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